The WiiU: what are some pros and cons?

The WiiU has been out for a good several months now, and has sparked good and bad feedback, as would be expected of any new console. But what really makes our ultimate decision? What says yes or no to throwing money at that shiny new console? In this case, what makes us throw money at Nintendo, or keep our money away from Nintendo? What makes you decide to buy, or not to buy the WiiU? I'll admit, I'm a little on their side in this one. as soon as I saw the previews for the WiiU on the Nintendo channel on my old Wii, I decided I wanted it. I never really thought about exactly what I did and didn't like, though. Now that I think of it, the system has it's drawbacks.

First off, Nintendo is a bit late to the HD party. The PS3 and 360 have already featured this, and the next systems will too.Second, The range for the gamepad is kind of weak. Sure, I can still play my WiiU while I take a shower (not really), but I can't sit on my front porch, or in my back yard while I play it. Also, It's not entirely the most advanced. Another problem is that most of the games cannot be played without the WiiU gamepad. These, and another number of problems, really hinder the experience.

But, on the other hand, there are several reasons to at least purchase the basic package. First, Nintendo has always had innovation on the brain when it came to their consoles, and tons of interesting ideas have come from this. The WiiU gamepad is no exception. It's 6" touchscreen, television remote function, camera, mic, built in speakers, headphone jack, volume control, and built in battery are undoubtedly one of the biggest innovations In nintendo. The gamepad even features motion controls of it's own.

Another thing which is much simpler, but still a very effective measure, is the internet browser. They gave the internet browser a massive overhaul compared to the original Wii. It's faster, easier, and more functional. It feels like an actual internet browser, as opposed to the original Wii's internet channel. Nintendo even designed their own social network for people to talk about their WiiU games, take screenshots, and some other things, all of which can be accessed without quitting the game. It seems more like they combined the nintendo Wii and DS together to create this incredible innovation.

Also, you can transfer all of your data from your Wii over to your WiiU, meaning you don't have to lose any progress, games, or anything else you've downloaded onto your old system! It's also backwards compatible, so your Wii games aren't useless after the transfer.

So how about you WiiU owners out there?What are some of your likes and dislikes about Nintendo's newest addition to their family?

Well, for starters, the Wii U needs a real library. It's telling when the only games I have for it are Nintendo Land (by virtue of being a Deluxe Set Owner) and New Super Mario U (which I got for $42 and is a lot more fun than I think most people give most recent 2D Marios credit for).

A lot of the initial games released for the console are just blargh. I'm predicting the Wii U will take off when they start getting some good first-party (or innovative third party) games in their retinue such as Zelda or Fire Emblem. In the meantime, you might want to wait for a price drop (this, coming from a Nintendo fan since the age of 4)

(While tangential to the subject at hand, it's only fair to note that the 3DS is getting some very good games this year. So, you might want to get a 3DS if you don't already have one. </end free advertising for the 3DS>).

@Zelkiiro: You know, it's interesting, because I agreed with your first con before I bought my Wii U. However, after holding it in my hands, I realized that it didn't feel awkward to use at all. Of course, that's just my opinion.

I agree with your second con as of the time of this posting. I feel that you're being a bit hyperbolic about your third and fourth cons though. The Wii U's hardware specs may be sub-par as compared to the competition, but they're hardly terrible. And, the Wii U's gimmick is substantially better than that of the 3DS (3D top screen) which, in my personal experience, has only truly added a lot to the gameplay of one game on the handheld (Super Mario 3D Land).

Can't comment on your last con because I haven't really researched anything related to that. What makes the Wii U any harder to program for than the other consoles? (Honest question, not meant to be inflammatory)

I don't think that the WiiU has really been out long enough to make to state what the definite pros and cons are, but I personally don't really have a problem with the thing. The gamepad is simple to use, its backwards compatible with my regular Wii games and the Wii's accessories, and while the library right now is small and consists mostly of ports, at least said ports have either been improved upon a little (I.e. Ninja Gaidan 3: Razor Edition or the upcoming port of Resident Evil: Revelation) or they have all of the DLC and make full use of the WiiU's gamepad (I.e. Darksiders 2, Arkham City Armored Edition and the upcoming Director's cut of Deus Ex: Human Revolution). And thanks to said game pad, I can now take whatever I'm playing into another room if someone else wants the TV (and I live with four other people and can't afford my own TV ATM, so yeah thats a good thing for me). But anyway, I say give it a little more time and then we'll see. But thats just me.

My sister (she's 9) likes to play video games and even plays cod with me. What would be a nice system for her? Something little girls enjoy and it won't just sit on a shelf.***Title should have been "video GAME console"***

I'm looking to buy a new console, but am not sure which one is the best to buy. I've been continuously told how great Xbox live is, how fantastic the Ps3's blue ray player is and how fun the Wii is. With the funds to only get one, it's a little difficult to choose.

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